As we all know, the calves are a very stubborn body part to develop and are often unresponsive to any passive training techniques. Unlike other body parts which can grew reasonably well from the major compound exercises, the calves usually require a more direct and aggressive approach. As we naturally use the calves every day as we take countless steps it may be little wonder why the calves brush off a moderate level of exercise. It’s also true that the calves are quite a flat muscle group, therefore notable growth may take a longer duration compared to other small muscle groups such as the biceps, triceps, deltoids and trapezius. This article covers what the author believes to be the two most important aspects of calve training; calve raise form and training volume.

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I am sure at some point we have all wondered what it is that allows some people to easily pack on muscle whilst the rest us struggle on. Maybe secretive steroid use? The supplement we see him taking after a workout? A superior training regime? Unfortunately, when we look at the progress made by others we often begin to question our own progress (or lack of) and we may begin to stray away from the sound fundamentals we have always rightly followed and begin to employ wasteful antics which merely mimic someone who appears to be superior at building muscle. We must realise not everyone is going to build muscle at the same rate even with all things being equal (diet, supplement intake and training regime). Thanks to the recent progress shots shared by Tony Barnes on MuscleTalk.co.uk we can see what is achievable by keeping things simple and following sound fundamentals, all within a 6 week time frame.

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Many people consider 8-12 repetitions the best choice for inducing muscle growth. Arguably such a stance is correct; as such a moderate repetition range has been shown to favour the induction of beneficial hormonal release and muscle damage to a greater degree compared to lower and higher repetition ranges. The problem many trainees face after training for a long period of time is the tendency to get into a rut or “plateau”, as the body becomes accustom to the long applied repetition range. In such a case it may be worthwhile introducing a new repetition scheme into your training, such as 5×5, to break through the plateau.

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Bench pressing is usually considered the bread and butter of chest training. It is un-doubtfully one of the most effective upper body exercises for bodybuilders and strength athletes, and hence is widely used among the majority of weight trainers. The bench press itself can be performed in a number of ways however; an array of angles can be used to differ the stimulus, and the apparatus used can differ with the popular methods being the barbell, dumbbells and machine press. The barbell and dumbbell variations would be considered the most logical choices, so we will examine if one should be favoured over the other.

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So you want to lose weight. But did you know there are two types of body fat? There is subcutaneous fat which is just below the skin, and visceral fat, which surrounds the internal organs. Visceral fat is the more dangerous of the two and harder to lose. You can easily see visceral fat on most people. It is the protruding belly, known as a “Beer Belly” or “Pot Belly” on men. The medical term is panniculus or pannus. The flab extends over the belt and eliminates the waistline. This results in wearing the belt under a massive bulge. You may also describe these persons as stout, portly, obese, hefty, and rotund and the flab as, blubber, padding or belly fat.

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